A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola,has condemned the proposed Hate Speech Bill by the Senate.
The legal luminary who spoke at ABUAD in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday when the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti chapter, led by its Chairman, Comrade Rotimi Ojomoyela presented to him an award of excellence to appreciate his contributions to humanity and national development said the bill is the beginning of dictatorship in Nigeria adding that the bill clearly contravened Section 39 of the 1999 Constitutions which guaranteed freedom of speech.
Babalola said, “This is the beginning of dictatorship. There are enough laws like defamation, libel and slander to deal with anybody who publishes falsehood against someone and it comes by way of taking the person to court.
“So, it is of no need to making new laws to deal with somebody who publishes falsehood. There was no need whatsoever for additional laws to deal with that.
“Though, people are complaining because the police are not doing well by delaying prosecution of offenders.
“The Department of State Services did Irreparable damage to courts the very day houses of judges were ransacked at night because no judge will give judgement against a government when he has the impression that his house will be searched at night.